Gisèle and Suzanne

PostED ON OCTOBER 15, 2018

They laugh at the same jokes and finish each other’s sentences. When they retired in 2016, after sharing an office for 20 years at the Ministry of Finance, Gisèle and Suzanne became volunteers together.

“We lived our professional lives in an office, filled with lots of paperwork… Here we meet people we don’t usually come across, “said Suzanne. “We often work at the boutique, we like playing the shopkeeper,” jokes Gisèle, adding that she “loved to see Aznavour perusing the DVDs last year.” Whether it’s giving advice on which t-shirt or book to buy or restocking merchandise, these two volunteers have a lot to keep them busy, and change their shoes every day to avoid sore feet.

© Institut Lumière / Jean-Luc Mège

A perfectionist, Gisèle wears lipstick the exact shade of red as her volunteer t-shirt. “They should have made the t-shirts considering that,” she muses. This year, Jean Paul Gaultier’s special 10th anniversary black t-shirt is selling like hotcakes. “I wanted to get one for my brother in-law, but in the end, I think I’ll keep it for myself and get him a cap, that’ll be enough for him,” Suzanne says decisively. A good volunteer must be “available, polite, pleasant,” she feels. “And not push sales, like working with people, listen to their needs,” chimes in Gisèle. Their devotion is contagious - since last year, Gisèle’s husband has become a volunteer driver for the festival.

 Rébecca Frasquet